Davie County HS visiting Mt. Tabor HS on February 1, 2013. Features Cody Martin, Caleb Martin, Matt Madigan, Lepreece Lynch, TyQuan Bitting, Nate Long, Austin Hatfield, Taylor Hatfield

You’ve probably seen some of our tweets about this, but here’s the official announcement: Basketball Elite is partnering with Augusta Basketball Report to bring you the NetCast Sports Network, which will feature high school and AAU games, broadcast online in HD, in the coming year. After a summer of coverage on the AAU circuit, we’re ready to bring some of the best action that high school basketball has to offer. In fact, there’s no wait – you can already check out the AAU broadcasts from last summer, like this great matchup between the Oakland Soldiers and the CP3 All-Stars from the EYBL, or this fantastic matchup between Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle as the Texas Titans take on CIA Bounce.

Andrew Wiggins of CIA Bounce

We’ll be announcing more about which games are on the schedule for this high school season soon – but rest assured there will be some great match ups to watch. Already confirmed are games featuring national powerhouse Oak Hill, Olympic HS, Davie HS and many more – but if you are looking for us to consider adding your high school to the broadcast list, send us your schedule and we will take a look!

By Marcus Shockley

Oakland Soldiers	51
CIA Bounce	50

No one was surprised when CIA Bounce advanced to the championship game; all week long the talk had been about how loaded the Canadian team was, led by Andrew Wiggins (SF, 6’7″, 2014), considered by most to be the best high school player on the continent. Wiggins is a player who we’ve been watching long before he was labeled as such; however, as I’ve said in the past, he has a pro first step that is deadly. A fluid superstar who has great length and agility, Wiggins already has tools that some professional basketball players lack. He still needs to work on his consistency with his shot, and he will need to add strength, but his quickness is incredible and he loves to use the spin move, in either direction, to free up a shot. He’s explosive and dynamic on the court and tracking as a NBA lottery pick, if not #1 overall.

The powerhouse player for the Oakland Soldiers was the versatile Aaron Gordon (PF, 6’9″, 2013) who was playing injured but continued to show that he might still lay claim to the top player in the 2013 class. Gordon has a balanced approach to the game, and is the kind of player that teams like to run the offense through, with the ball getting in his hands at least once during a possession; even if he’s not scoring, he can often find another player who might.

Kendall Smith (PG, 6’2″, 2013) ran the show for the Soldiers once again; Smith is a true point guard with a good first step and he has the ability to get to the bucket and score in traffic. CIA Bounce once again employed the talents of combo guard Tyler Ennis (PG/SG, 6’3″, 2013) a player who can run the team effectively but also plays very well off of the ball.

Other notable players included Jaylen Canty (PF, 6’8″, 2013) a post player for Oakland who has a light touch and showed a really good drop step. Jabari Bird (SG/SF, 6’6″, 2013) was active at all times and had some nice passes and deep shots to help build the Oakland early lead.

For much of the game it was a contest of wills between Wiggins and Gordon, who each wanted the ball in their hands to try and score or facilitate. At times they were directly matched up against each other. Oakland quickly ran out to decent lead, 27-15 with 1:33 remaining in the first half. After a three by Bird put the Soldiers up 32-26 in the second half, it was obvious that Wiggins became very focused on getting his team back in the game. Suddenly he became even more active, scoring multiple times down the floor or finding teammates, include one deft pass to Ennis for a dunk. Ennis’s transition slam tied the game 34-34.

With the game in contention, several players were instrumental in the battle for the title Xavier Rathan-Mayes (SG, 6’4″, 2013) of CIA Bounce was a stable player on the wing, handling the ball against pressure and hitting several big shots down the stretch. Stanley Johnson (SF, 6’7″, 2014) continued to be the emerging star who supported Gordon effectively, and working hard on the defense, often matched up with Wiggins.

As with most of the games of the EYBL Final Four, the game came down to the wire. Both teams traded the lead and CIA Bounce led 50-49 with 8 seconds remaining on the clock. After back-to-back timeouts, Oakland took possession of the ball, ran a screen for Bird, who launched a long two-pointer with 1.3 on the clock, and a foul was called. The fans and media erupted in the building, depending on which allegience they might have, as the contact seemed minimal.

Bird headed to the line and calmly hit his first free throw, tying the game, 50-50, then after a time out, sank the second shot to put Oakland up 51-50. Forced to heave a last second shot, Rathan-Mayes raced almost to half court and launched a good looking, but unfortunately errant, shot. Oakland players celebrated on the court while CIA quickly left the floor in obvious dejection, but both teams showed that they belonged in the title game.

By James Blackburn

Photo Source: USA Today

Game Scouted: Lamar vs. Vermont (NCAA Tournament: First Four)
Vermont wins 71-59
Box Score

Four McGlynn (G, 6’2”, FR)

Stats
5-9 FG, 3-5 3pt, 5-6 FT, 3 reb, 27 min, 18 TP

Strengths
Quick feet- on both ends of the floor- showed the ability to stay in front of dribble drive and slide feet quickly- always on his toes ready to move-active. Quick release- excellent shooter with unlimited range- gets feet set with shoulders square- good follow through and good elevation on jump shot- can not leave open (in second part of 1st half- Lamar defended him by having his defender not helping). One of the few players on team with ability to create own shot. Can shoot coming off screens either direction- prefers to come off screens when shooting. Has a scores mentality- provides an instant spark coming off the bench- shot the ball 3 times in his first 2 minutes off the bench and made 2 of the shots. Moves well with out ball and does a good job running by off-ball screens and reading how defense plays it and either curls or fades off screen. Understands help side defense. Underrated quick first step- known primarily as shooter but was able to get into the paint several times and get by defense- has an effective floater when getting into paint. Good on-court demeanor and body language. Has a good overall understanding of the game especially for a freshman- court spacing, patience, smart passing ability, defensive positioning, etc. Calm on line- automatic. Goes ball side on off-ball screens defensively. Underrated passer- better then assists per game average shows. Protects the ball- 0 TO’s this game.

Weaknesses
Size and athleticism hurts him. Plays primarily off the ball and is effective doing so by being a scorer- must improve play making ability- has one thing on his mind and that is to shoot and score the ball. But at his size and with playing below the rim, he is going to need to make the transition to the PG position, if he has any aspirations to play at the next level. Needs to improve ball handling to be able to bring ball up the court with pressure defense- improve left hand- never advanced the ball down court one time this game.

Overview
Leads team in scoring with 12 ppg and FT% (89%) while coming off the bench. Helped the Vermont team to win 23 games and the American East Tournament Championship to earn an NCAA bid. McGlynn was voted the Rookie of the Year award in the American East Conference. Leads all freshman in D1 with FT%.

Even though he is 2G now, I can see him making the transition to the PG. To play in the NBA, he is going to have to become a PG, as he doesn’t have the size or athleticism to defend a shooting guard at the next level. He is definitively capable- his quickness, basketball IQ, passing ability, and protecting the ball will help make the transition easier. He is not a bad ball handler, but will need to continue to improve in this area. The main thing that he is going to have to do is to change his mentality from a scorer to a playmaker. He needs to be able to break man down off dribble and find open man after dribble penetration. If he can make the transition to the PG or even become a combo guard and continue to score the basketball, I can see him playing professionally some where. NBA teams should begin to monitor his progress, as he will most likely be a 4-year guy- truly a diamond in the rough and has a lot of time to continue to improve being a freshman. Will have a chance to play at the big stage as Vermont will now advance to play UNC on Friday in Greensboro, NC. It will be interesting to see how he performs against a taller Reggie Bullock and defends him and Kendall Marshall.

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By Marcus Shockley

A quick rundown of some of the players we saw and noted in the NC high school 2A and 4A championships:

Kennedy Meeks, C, 6’9″, 2013, West Charlotte HS (Charlotte)

Meeks is a high major prospect with multiple offers in hand, and it’s easy to see why when watching him play. He has great hands, able to catch the ball on the move but really excels at going after putback shots, which accounts for a lot of his offense. West Charlotte runs the ball through the high post but didn’t post up Meeks much. Meeks isn’t an above-the-rim explosive player but he’s poised on the court, passes extremely well from the post and rebounds well. Has an uncanny knack for reaching to block shots without fouling.

Trey Foster, PG, 5’10, 2014, West Charlotte HS (Charlotte)

Foster is undersized but a true point, very sure with the ball and can run the team even under pressure. He can bring the ball up against pressure and looks to find open teammates. He still needs to become more consistent shooting from the perimeter.

Kadeem Allan, SG/SF, 6’3″, 2012, New Hanover HS (Wilmington, NC)

An athletic wing with a solid first step, Allan was a force in the second half of the state title game. One of the best athletes in the playoffs and looks like a natural SG/SF who will need to continue to improve ballhandling.

Nigel Holley, PF, 6’7″, 2013, New Hanover HS (Wilmington, NC)

A big smooth forward who looks like he will be physically ready to play at the collegiate level. Slipped under the defense for several nice dunks and looks like he will be able to play the 4 spot effectively. Shot really well from the free throw line.

Thomas Johnson, SG, 6’2″, 2013, New Hanover HS (Wilmington, NC)

Explosive shooting guard who lit up West Charlotte in the first half. Still needs to improve ballhandling at his size in order to play some point. Was very fast up and down the floor but isn’t a true combo guard yet. Super shot from deep and can often beat his man off the dribble just because of his lightning-quick first step.

Sheldon Mitchell, PG, 6’3″, 2014, Cuthbertson HS (Waxhaw, NC)

Sure handed big guard with big time ability to get to the rim and can score in a lot of ways. Rock-solid free throw shooter, his offensive game is using the dribble, getting into the lane and getting off a shot for either a score or drawing the foul. He can also get above the rim and had two open-court dunks. Does not appear to have much perimeter consistency yet and rarely shot from outside.

As the high school season finishes up, unsigned senior basketball players now turn their attention to trying to catch the eye of a college that’s still looking to fill out their class. One of the best ways to do that is to play in the upcoming J.D. Lewis High School Seniors & Post Grad League, where Basketball Elite and several others scouts will attend multiple dates in order to try and see as many players at once as possible.

This event is being organized by the J.D. Lewis staff, so check out the details below:

The members of the Sports Department staff of the Jerry Long YMCA (Winston-Salem, NC) are looking to embark on a journey that will take the mission of the YMCA, literally to the world. They are hoping to be able to venture down to the tiny, beautiful, Caribbean island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines on a SPORTS MISSIONS trip this summer for duration of five days. The plan is to take a skeleton crew of 11 people, who are willing to sacrifice their time and energy, to accomplish a threefold purpose in the tiny city of Camden Park, St. Vincent.

The group will be hosting the 1st annual Forsyth County High School All Star game. This will be a charity game used to help raise the funds needed to make the mission trip possible. All Stars Saturday will contain events such as the Skills Challenge, 3 point Shootout, Dunk Contest and finally the All Star Game. The East team will have players representing schools to the east of Forsyth County and beyond such as, North Forsyth, Glenn, East Forsyth, West Stokes, and Winston-Salem Prep, Southwest Guilford. While the West team will have players representing schools to the west of Forsyth County and beyond such as, Forsyth Country Day School, West Forsyth, Reagan, Davie, Mount Tabor, Reynolds and Calvary Baptist.

All Star Saturday events will take place at Piedmont International University, formally known as Piedmont Baptist College, on March 17TH from 4-7pm. The East team consist of players like Trey Tatum (Bishop McGuinness HS), Chris Harris (East Forsyth HS), Edward Valentine and Rayshawn Spease (North Forsyth HS), Jordan Hanners and Brandon Clyburn (Southwest Guilford) and Chad Hicks and Kerry Campbell (Winston Salem Prep HS).

The West team consist of Nate Jones and Shannon Dillard (Davie HS), Jack Young, Thor Emilson and Trey Hayes (Forsyth Country Day School), John Massengill and Alex McAllister (West Forsyth HS) and Alex Karpinski and David Gaither (RJ Reynolds HS).

The game will be covered by Basketball Elite. There will be a $5 admission fee to get into the game, donations are also accepted. Come out and support our seniors as the put on their high school uniforms for the last time!!

By Justin Byerly

Note: Justin Byerly reviews the 2012 NC playoff pairings and here are his predictions for the first round match ups.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

MEN’S 2012 STATE BASKETBALL PLAYOFF PAIRINGS

CLASS 4-A

EAST

16 East Wake (9-14) at 1 New Hanover (22-1) Pick: New Hanover (Nigel Holley and Kadeem Allen are just too good to lose this one at home)

9 Laney (12-10) at 8 Middle Creek (16-8) Pick: This is a good one, Im going with Laney, Elijah Wilson (CofC) scored 43 the other night and may be a little to much for Quinton Ray and co.

12 Southeast Raleigh (12-7) at 5 Hoggard (16-6) Pick: Wilmington Hoggard (Tyler Thayer, three college offers, and co. should be able to get this win)

13 Athens Drive (12-10) at 4 Clayton (17-5) Pick: Clayton (Sophomore Gary Clark is really good. Clayton is really good. Should be enough to get to 2nd Round

14 Rose (10-12) at 3 Millbrook (19-5) Pick: Millbrook

11 Wake Forest-Rolesville (16-8) at 6 Broughton (17-7) Pick: Broughton (But this should be one of the best games of the first round)

10 Knightdale (11-12) at 7 Wakefield (16-6) Pick: Wakefield

15 Sanderson (10-14) at 2 Garner (20-2) Pick: Garner (Dominique Reed. The kid can play. Should not have any trouble in this one as they move to second round.

MIDEAST

16 Terry Sanford (12-12) at 1 Pine Forest (23-1) Pick: Pine Forest (Alex Bradley is a machine, and Pine Forest is a great team. Knocked off New Hanover earlier in year)

9 South View (12-12) at 8 Lumberton (14-9) Pick: South View (Nathan Faulk has a nice team in Fayetteville, Rian Holland and Treshawn Patterson will get the win IMO

12 Southeast Guilford (13-9) at 5 Green Hope (20-4) Pick: Green Hope

13 Northern Durham (11-11) at 4 Person (19-4) Pick: Person (Tyrone Outlaw is going to be a good one, Person should advance pretty easliy)

14 Jack Britt (8-16) at 3 Apex (21-3) Pick: Apex

11 Purnell Swett (14-8) at 6 Hillside (15-6) Pick: Hillside

10 Jordan (11-12) at 7 Seventy First (16-7) Pick: 71st

15 Holly Springs (13-11) at 2 Hoke (19-2) Pick: Hoke County

MIDWEST

16 High Point Central (10-14) at 1 Sun Valley (20-4) Pick: Sun Valley (Jalen Witherspoon and Shaun Stewart, a do-it-all G can score with the best of them)

9 Richmond Senior (17-5) at 8 David Butler (14-10) Pick: Butler (Not by much, but Zach Ferguson is a player, tough as nails and I have to pick one so it’s Butler HS and Coach Kirby)

12 Ben Smith (13-10) at 5 Davie County (17-6) Pick: Smith (This is a good one here, Tracy Gathings will need to have a big game, but I think he can. The age and experience might be enough to up-set the Martin twins, as long as Smith HS can stop Nate Jones.

13 East Forsyth (15-9) at 4 Northwest Guilford (15-9) Pick: East Forsyth (Craig Hinton can play, and throw in Drew Cone & Larry Curry, you have a win for an under-rated team in EF.

14 R.J. Reynolds (10-13) at 3 Mount Tabor (16-7) Pick: Mt Tabor (Matthew Madigan & Torey Baskin-may be able to play are a little too good to lost this one.

11 Glenn (13-10) at 6 Southwest Guilford (15-9) Pick: SW Guilford (Jordan Hanner has been playing really well as of late and I think he and SW will keep it up against Zane Waterman and co)

10 Reagan (14-9) at Dudley (13-9) Pick: Dudley HS (Sam Hunt…Period)

15 Rocky River (10-13) at 2 Page (19-4) Pick: Page HS (Frank Eaves is the real deal, going to be too much for RR)

WEST

16 South Caldwell (10-13) at 1 Olympic (24-0) Pick: Olympic HS (I said this earlier, I would not want to be facing Charlotte Olympic the rest of the season, sometimes it takes an L to see how good you really are, and these guys are GOOD.

9 Watauga (9-13) at 8 East Gaston (10-13) Pick: East Gaston (I see Desean Murray (2014) having a big game, the kid is young but he will end up being one of the top guns in Charlotte soon. He is a player)

12 West Mecklenburg (3-20) at 5 McDowell (17-6) Pick: McDowell (McDowell has some athletic players on the roster as does WM, but I think McDowell gets the W in this one.

13 East Mecklenburg (13-10) at 4 Alexander Central (18-5) Pick: Alexander Central (IMO the Charlotte area teams are the strongest they have been in a while, but this one has to go to AC. I think thats as far as they can get though)

14 Mooresville (12-10) at 3 West Charlotte (19-5) Pick: West Charlotte (I would put pretty much anything I own on Mike Brown, a WCU signee. The kid is just a winner. Mooresville won earlier this season, but Meeks is playing better and Mark Blackmon has stepped-up.

11 Myers Park (15-9) at 6 North Mecklenburg (20-4) Pick: Toss-up (MP wins if they get a huge game from Patrick Wallace or North Meck wins with big game from one of the top PG’s in Charlotte Shivaughn Wiggins, should be one of the best games in the first round IMO. Both are seniors.

10 Mallard Creek (16-6) at T.C. Roberson (15-8) Pick: Mallard Creek (I dont think that some of these MAC teams can hang with the athleticism of some of the Charlotte teams this year).

15 Vance (13-10) at 2 South Mecklenburg (20-4) Pick: South Meck (SM should win this one with the height advantage of Matthews and Phillip, unless sophomore Brewer come up big again like he had been.

CLASS 3-A

EAST

16 West Carteret (10-12) at 1 West Craven (23-1) Pick: West Craven (Josh Cuthbertson is one of the top in the state, a D1 kid and will go pretty far this March.

9 Currituck (3-19) at 8 South Brunswick (8-12) Pick: South Brunswick

12 Hunt (11-12) at 5 South Central (19-3) Pick South Central

13 D.H. Conley (10-12) at 4 West Brunswick (12-10) Pick: West Brunswick

14 Southern Vance (8-11) at 3 Hertford County (19-3) Pick: Hertford

11 Southern Nash (7-12) at 6 Southern Wayne (17-6) Pick: Southern Wayne

10 Havelock (12-9) at 7 Nash Central (14-6) Pick: Havelock (Tyquan Nolan at 17ppg, is a tough one, I have them with the light upset)

15 Eastern Wayne (8-14) at 2 Rocky Mount (19-3) Pick: Rocky Mount (just has too much talent in this one)

MIDEAST

16 Southern Guilford (8-16) at 1 Chapel Hill (24-0) Pick: Chapel Hill (Denzel Ingram and CHHS will get over the hiccup from Friday and win big)

9 Asheboro (21-3) at 8 Webb (15-6) Pick: Webb (North Carolina commit Isaiah Hicks should come up big in this one, kind of like last week)

12 South Johnston (10-9) at 5 Eastern Alamance (18-6) Pick: Eastern Alamance

13 Union Pines (12-12) at 4 Westover (16-6) Pick: Westover (Murray St. signee CJ Ford is a winner and his finger is all good)

14 Eastern Guilford (12-12) at 3 Northern Guilford (18-4) Pick: N. Guilford

11 Cardinal Gibbons (14-10) at 6 Northeast Guilford (17-6) Pick: Northeast Guilford (NEG is playing very well right now, just won conference championship, and Bryce Benjamin will get the win)

10 Western Alamance (16-7) at 7 Southern Lee (17-6) Pick: Western Alamance (AJ Clark 28.5 ppg, with the seedings and only a day to prepare, I don’t know if thats enough time for a strong game plan against Clark)

15 Douglas Byrd (7-13) at 2 Triton (21-3) Pick: Triton

MIDWEST

16 McMichael (10-13) at 1 Concord (22-1) Pick: Concord (Kendall Knorr, Connor Burchfield, and Darren Black are just too good.)

9 West Rowan (14-10) at 8 Weddington (14-9) Pick: West Rowan (Rowan County and the Sherrill name are royalty in the area. Keshun is the latest. He is a scorer. Will be a good game.

12 Marvin Ridge (11-11) at 5 Anson (17-7) Pick: Anson (Will be a good game, Diondre Pratt will have to a really good game to keep the up-set away.)

13 Central Cabarrus (10-13) at 4 Charlotte Catholic (19-5) Pick: Charlotte Catholic (CC with Robert Champion (big time scorer) & 2013 Jr. Mark Pollack will not go out this early)

14 South Rowan (7-15) at 3 Statesville (17-3) Pick: Statesville

11 East Rowan (12-10) at 6 Jay Robinson (20-4) Pick: Robinson (A talented team that will surprise some teams in these playoffs)

10 Brown (15-8) at 7 Harding University (19-4) Pick: Harding HS (Jarvis Haywood, Emmanuel Patton, and Steven Burroughs along with newcomer will probably be around for a while in March) Haywood wins ball games. Kid has love for the game.

15 Hickory Ridge (14-10) at 2 North Forsyth (20-3) Pick: North Forsyth (Kedrick Flomo and co are too good)

WEST

16 South Point (12-8) at 1 Freedom (21-2) Pick: Freedom (Taylor Williams will probably have a big game for SP but Rob Noyes (offer from LR) and Chris Bridges and Darrion Evans will be too much)

9 Hunter Huss (12-10) at 8 St. Stephens (14-10) Pick: St. Stephens (Hunter Huss goes from de-fending champion to bowing out in first round)

12 Fred T. Foard (13-10) at 5 Enka (13-11) Pick: Enka (McCurry is a winner, the QB will prob be WNC Player of the Year also)

13 Clyde Erwin (11-11) at 4 Tuscola (17-6) Pick: Tuscola

14 R-S Central (10-12) at 3 Forestview (17-5) Pick: Forestview

11 Ashbrook (15-7) at 6 Asheville (16-6) Pick: Ashebrook (Ashbrook plays a tougher schedule and height will make a difference)

10 Burns (7-12) at 7 Franklin (16-8) Pick: Burns (This may be a stretch, but Burns’ QB and PG Brandon Littlejohn will probably have staff from WCU at the game (he signed) and will have a great game, he has scored 30+ many times this year)

15 East Henderson (7-16) at 2 Hickory (21-3) Pick: Hickory (HHS will be too good)

CLASS 2-A

EAST

16 Warren County (10-13) at 1 Bunn (22-2) Pick: Bunn (2015 Deshawn High, will have a good game, he averages 17 a game)

9 Richlands (17-5) at 8 North Brunswick (12-7) Pick: Richlands

12 North Johnston (13-10) at 5 Beddingfield (15-5) Pick: Beddingfield

13 Jacksonville Northside (16-7) at 4 Pasquotank (14-9) Pick: Northside (I see senior Mark Chinn having a big game and Jr. Jamal Parker finishing off the upset)

14 Roanoke Rapids (14-9) at 3 Kinston (19-4) Pick: Kinston (Nothing but good basketball comes out of Kinston, year after year)

11 Holmes (13-8) at 6 Topsail (16-7) Pick: Topsail

10 North Pitt (17-6) at 7 Northeastern (12-7) Pick: North Pitt

15 Farmville Central (10-7) at 2 Croatan (19-2) Pick: Croatan

MIDEAST

16 Clinton (15-7) at 1 Trinity (22-2) Pick: Trinity (But I would not be surprised if this is one of the best games of the first round. JT Miller of CHS is that good)

9 Carrboro (15-8) at 8 Cummings (14-6) Pick: Carrboro

12 Graham (17-7) at 5 West Bladen (17-6) Pick: West Bladen

13 Granville Central (15-9) at 4 Northwood (18-6) Pick: Granville Central (Martin Alston could lead them to an upset)

14 Durham School of the Arts (17-7) at 3 Fairmont (19-4) Pick: Fairmont

11 East Bladen (18-5) at 6 T.W Andrews (17-6) Pick TW Andrews (The little guy from TW is a winner)

10 St. Pauls (3-18) at 7 Corinth Holders (17-6) Pick: Corinth Holders

15 Jordan-Matthews (15-8) at 2 Reidsville (20-3) Pick: Reidsville

MIDWEST

16 North Surry (11-12) at 1 Cuthbertson (23-1) Pick: Cuthbertson (Shelton Mitchell is that good)

9 Starmount (16-7) at 8 Central Davidson (17-6) Pick: Central Davidson

12 Carver (9-12) at 5 Surry Central (15-9) Pick: Carver

13 Wheatmore (11-12) at 4 Forest Hills (15-8) Pick: Forest Hills

14 Thomasville (4-14) at 3 Lexington (13-9) Pick

11 Piedmont (11-12) at 6 East Lincoln (10-13) Pick: East Lincoln

10 North Lincoln (14-8) at 7 Salisbury (10-13) Pick Salisbury (Tony Nunn will not go down in the first round, the soph will be one of the top in state in two years.)

15 Bunker Hill (6-17) at 2 West Stokes (19-4) Pick: West Stokes

WEST

16 Maiden (9-13) at 1 Ashe County (22-2) Pick: Ashe County (Big guy is just too good to lost first round game)

9 Pisgah (18-6) at 8 Shelby (16-5) Pick: Shelby (Daylan Fuller, Gabe Devoe and co. are just too good to fall to Pisgah and one of WNC’s top scorers Rory McClure. Shelby will find a way to hold him under 16 and its over.

12 Newton-Conover (15-9) at 5 West Caldwell (15-5) Pick: West Caldwell

13 North Henderson (8-14) at 4 Lincolnton (17-4) Pick: Lincolnton (Jalen Littlejohn and Patrick Rendelman will be too much for NH, LHS just way more athletic)

14 Owen (4-18) at 3 Smoky Mountain (18-3) Pick: Smoky Mountain (Will Carpenter and the Mustangs have won four straight conference championships, this one should be a easy one.

11 Polk County (14-10) at 6 Mountain Heritage (14-9) Pick: Mountain Heritage (Alex Biggerstaff is a winner, that should not change in this game)

10 East Burke (17-7) at 7 Wilkes Central (19-3) Pick: Wilkes Central

15 Draughn (14-10) at 2 East Rutherford (20-3) Pick: East Rutherford (Devonte Boykins (Brother of Marshall U’s Devince Boykins is BIG TIME, & that wins these games)

CLASS 1-A

EAST

16 Pinetown Northside (12-10) at 1 Northampton-West (17-4) Pick: Northhampton-West

9 Mattamuskeet (11-8) at 8 Northampton-East (13-9) Pick: Mattamuskeet

12 Gates County (9-14) at 5 East Carteret (14-9) Pick: East Carteret

13 South Creek (14-10) at 4 Ayden-Grifton (15-6) Pick: Ayden-Grifton

14 Southeast Halifax (11-10) at 3 Plymouth (15-4) Pick: Plymouth (Carl McCray has been playing very well this season as of late and will probably keep it going)

11 Southwest Onslow (10-10) at 6 Lejeune (20-2) Pick: Lejeune (Gaven Allen and co. will make it look easy in this one.)

10 Riverside Martin (16-7) at 7 Camden (16-7) Pick: Camden

15 Jones (4-16) at 2 Creswell (17-4) Pick: Creswell

MIDEAST

16 Spring Creek (9-11) vs. 1 Roxboro Community (17-6) at Granville Central Pick: Roxboro Community (Jalen Bass and co. will not lose this one)

9 Lakewood (11-10) at 8 Rosewood (10-9) Pick: Rosewood

12 Chatham Central (12-11) at 5 Princeton (13-11) Pick: Princeton

4 Rocky Mount Prep (20-5) at 13 Union (9-13) Pick: Rocky Mount Prep (Donte Samuels will be a key in this one.)

14 Franklin Academy (7-19) at 3 West Columbus (10-10) Pick: West Columbus

11 Goldsboro (13-10) at 6 East Columbus (9-11) Pick: Goldsboro

10 Red Springs (4-17) at 7 Wallace-Rose Hill (10-13) Pick: WRH

15 Hobbton (7-13) at 2 James Kenan (16-6) Pick: Kenan

MIDWEST

16 Mount Airy (10-14) at 1 Winston-Salem Prep (22-1) Pick: WS-Prep (One of the nations top kids Greg McClinton and PG Raekwon Harney will be too much for Mount Airy)

9 River Mill Academy (6-18) at 8 Elkin (8-15) Pick: Elkin

12 North Wilkes (6-16) at 5 South Stokes (14-10) Pick: South Stokes

13 Bishop McGuinness (12-12) at 4 South Davidson (20-4) Pick: South Davidson (The Hatfield brothers and Wil Collins will be hard to beat this early)

14 East Montgomery (9-13) at 3 Monroe (14-9) Pick: Monroe (Brandon Roddy will not go down in the first round)

11 East Surry (14-9) at 6 Union Academy (11-10) Pick: East Surry (A upset on paper, but I think ES has played better this season)

10 Albemarle (15-5) at 7 Lake Norman Charter (12-11) Pick: Albemarle

15 West Montgomery (9-11) at 2 North Rowan (20-3) Pick: North Rowan (Oshon West & Michael Connor will be too much for E.M.) Wichita St recently got involved with West and Connor is a soph.)

WEST

16 Murphy (8-16) at 1 Hayesville (24-0) Pick: Hayesville (un-defeated for a reason, brings back memories of Brett Brackin and Joeseph Chilton)

9 Thomas Jeffferson (12-10) at 8 Hiwassee Dam (10-10) Pick: Thomas Jefferson (Waldrop-Rodriguez will come to play)

12 Blue Ridge (6-12) at 5 Highlands (8-15) Pick: Highlands

13 Cherokee (12-11) at 4 Alleghany (9-15) Pick: Cherokee (Tsaldi may be too tough of a match-up)

14 Rosman (12-12) at 3 Highland Tech (15-5) Pick: Highland Tech (Jevon Patton is big time, and big time wins first round games…most of the time)

11 Cherryville (12-12) at 6 Mitchell (17-6) Pick: Cherryville (Warren & Tuft may be too much for the Mountaineers)

10 Swain (12-11) at 7 Robbinsville (13-9) Pick: Swain (State Champion football players are hard to beat even in basketball when its all on the line)

15 Bessemer City (10-12) at 2 Hendersonville (21-0) Pick: Hendersonville (Sam Wilkins, Rashad Felton and co. will be too much for BC)

By Marcus Shockley & James Blackburn

Theo Pinson is currently ranked as the #2 sophomore prospect in the nation by some publications

The MLK Classic in Greensboro, NC is one of the more elite gatherings of high school teams in the nation, this year bringing in teams like storied Oak Hill, Quality Education Academy and Wesleyan Christian Academy.

Some of the standout players of the day:

Aaron Rountree (F, 6’8″, 2012) – Greenfield HS (Clinton, NC), a Wake Forest commit, showed off much of his versatility. Rountree is the type of player that isn’t a pure post player and isn’t a pure wing, but does some things in each of those roles and brings a lot of energy to the floor. He’s long and athletic and turned in one of the best performances on the day. We last scouted Aaron at the CP3 Elite Guard Camp.

Diante Baldwin (G, 5’11″, 2013) – High Point Christian Academy , showed incredible ability under the bright lights with the game on the line. Baldwin is deft in traffic and plays well in the open floor, cutting through the lane with reckless abandon. We last scouted Diante at the Adidas Phenom 150 camp. Has an offer from Appalachian State.

Tyler Lewis (PG, 5’11″, 2012)- Oak Hill, committed to NC State. By now, it should be well known what Lewis brings to the table, having played several games on national television with Oak Hill, but he’s still proving that he can play at the elite level without question. He’s known for flashy passes and no-look shiftiness, but the reality is that it’s not all show with Lewis; he will find whichever teammate is open at any time. We last scouted Lewis when Oak Hill played QEA earlier in the season and when the team took on Miller Grove.

Jordan Adams (SG, 6’5″, 2012) – Oak Hill, committed to UCLA. Jordan looks like he’s gotten back in season shape and was running the floor better; smooth with a good ability to slash across the lane, Adams is primarily known for being a deep threat. He has a pro jump shot and is as consistent as ever.

Brandon Bolden (C, 6’11″, 2012) – Quality Education Academy, committed to Georgetown. Bolden is athletic and has a great second bounce off of the floor. He wants to block everything and is a factor with his height and both ends of the floor. Still raw offensively but definitely a high major big.

Montay Brandon (G, 6’7″, 2012) – Wesleyan Christian Academy, committed to Florida State. Brandon didn’t have a great shooting performance but his size and ability to play at the perimeter make him a tough stop for smaller guards. Big time bounce, good ballhandling and solid potential headed to the ACC.

Theo Pinson (SG, 6’5″ 2014) – Wesleyan Christian Academy Undeclared. Although most recruiting publications don’t rank sophomores, some have ranked Pinson as the #2 sophomore in the nation behind Andrew Wiggins, who we scouted last May at the Jordan Brand Classic. Pinson has the build to play the off guard and is explosive in transition. Can shoot from deep and if he keeps working, should have a bright future.

Christian Hairston (SF, 6’7″, 2013) – Greensboro Day School Undeclared. Hairston is a smooth forward and has great awareness on the floor, definitely a player to keep up with and already has some offers. Explosive and a good defender, closes out fast on the shooters and can slash to get his own shot.

Christian Hairston is an unsigned prospect with big time potential.

James Ford (SG, 6’4″, 2012) – Quality Education Academy Ford is a big time prospect that hasn’t been on the radar as much as he should be, but this year teams are starting to take notice. He can shoot from deep, get to the rim and has all of the skills to play at the next level. Getting interest from Clemson, College of Charleston, Duquesne, Georgia State.

Shannon Hale (PF, 6’8″, 2012) – Christ School Committed to Alabama. A smooth forward, Hale makes the game look easy. He has a good high release on his shot and defends well on the ball.

Jerome Hairston (PG, 6’2″, 2012) – Christ School Committed to Towson. Showed slick ballhandling and highlight passes, Hairston showed he has some mixtape moves with the ball in his hand. Surprise talent of the day.

A.J. Hammonds (C, 7’0″, 2012) – Oak Hill Committed to Purdue. A big force in the paint, Hammonds is a half court center who can be a brutal defender in the lane, making guards and wings regret they attempted to slash to the hoop.

Sam Hunt (PG, 6’0″, 2013) – Dudley HS (Greensboro, NC) Showed he could compete at a high level as his team took on Oak Hill. The game wasn’t close, but Hunt poured in 23 points and showed his ability to score and defend on the perimeter.

Josh Level, (SG, 6’5″, 2014) – Christ School A guard with good size and vision. Level squares up on his shot, is a big time leaper and good defender. A lot to like about his game.

JaQuel Richmond (PG, 6’0, 2014) – Wesleyan Christian Academy - solid, quick point guard who throws bullet passes and runs the offense with purpose. Has an ability to get to the rim against elite competition and still has two more years to improve.

Reed Lucas (SG/SF, 6’4″, 2013) – Greensboro Day School Deceptively athletic wing who has a good first step and likes to slash to the basket, but also can shoot from range.

More Notable Players:

Colton Bishop (PG/SG, 6’1″, 2014) – Forsyth Country Day

Darryl Davender (PG, 5’9″, 2013) – Body of Christ Academy

Mike Murray (PG, 5’9″, 2012) – Norfolk Christian Academy

Reggie Dillard (SG, 6’3″, 2013) – Greensboro Day School

Jackson Kent (SF, 6’7″, 2013) – High Point Christian Academy

Tracy Gathings (SF/PF, 6’5″, 2012) – Ben L. Smith HS (Greensboro, NC)

Ibrahim Diallo (C, 6’9″, 2015) – Quality Education Academy

Joshua Woodward (PF, 6’6″, 2012) – Wesleyan Christian Academy

Jonathan Hood (G/F, 6’4″, 2012) – Body of Christ Academy

Tevin Findlay (G, 6’4″, 2012) – Quality Education Academy

Jordan Robinson (PF, 6’8″, 2014) – Quality Education Academy

Today’s highlights feature a matchup between Mt. Tabor HS (NC) and Davie HS (NC), a game with multiple players who are prospects to play at some level of collegiate basketball.

Player Highlights:

Cody Martin (SG/SF, 6’6″, 2012) a fluid player with a decent first step and the ability to pull up from mid range. Reportedly has offers from NC State, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Twin brother Caleb Martin also has the same offers but is currently sidelined with a broken foot.

Matt Madigan (PG/SG, 6’4″, 2013) quick with the ball and can play effectively at the PG or SG spot.

Nate Jones (PG/SG, 5’11″, 2012) explosive guard with elite hops and deep shooting range.

Shannon Dillard (SF/PF, 6’5″, 2012) nimble leaper who can wow with reverse dunks and shot blocks, but very strong rebounder as well.

Deion Robinson (PF, 6’4″, 2012) incredibly consistent around-the-basket player who rarely, if ever, makes mistakes.

Ty’Quan Bitting (C, 6’7″, 2013) long shot blocker who is improving quickly. Runs the floor well and is a factor in the paint.

Lepreece Lynch (SG/SF, 6’4″, 2013) deft scorer who has a deep well of moves to get buckets. Can finish inside, mid range or deep.

Nate Jones defends Matt Madigan on the perimeter